Why NoFap Works

When I first heard about the NoFap Movement I laughed out loud. Abstinence from masturbation was praised as the ultimate cure for all evil in the world. Were people starting to become scared of their own sexuality? What kind of nonsense was this?

According to the leaders of the movement the benefits of NoFap include but are not limited to:

clarity of mind

cure for depression

more energy

clean skin

reduced anger

no sugar cravings

more respect from women

And while I still don´t believe everything that this claimed above I have heard enough success stories to dive further into this movement. I have read dozens of success stories. And dozens of parodies.

The rules of NoFap are simple: no porn, no masturbation. Having sex with one or multiple partners is allowed, though.

It´s not only porn-addicts who join the NoFap movement. No, the movement is very heterogeneous with people (mostly men) from every social class and country.

The health benefits of masturbation can be found in every sex-positive magazine you open. And while it may be true that frequent masturbation can lower the risk for prostate cancer physical health is not the primary reason why people join the NoFap movement.

And once I understood the real reason why NoFap works I was stunned.

NoFap deals with the biggest problem in our modern society: instant gratification. People nowadays want everything right now. They can not wait. They can not abstain from an instant dopamine rush to focus on long term goals.

And the short satisfaction gained from masturbation is exactly that: a form of instant gratification.

You don´t need to find a partner, go on dates and deal with hours of foreplay when masturbating. You get the instant reward without needing to put in the work first. And while this behavior is not unhealthy in itself it surely is addicting.

It is no secret that success is only possible once gratification is delayed. The reward only comes to you after you put in effort and time. Masturbating on the other hand requires no time or effort. Therefore, it does not lead to success.

On top of that is an orgasm the strongest of all natural pleasures. Even stronger than the instant gratification that comes with sugary foods or consuming unnecessary goods.

Our brains are hard-wired to LOVE orgasms. This mechanism ensures that you will spill your seed and create offspring. But it was meant as a tool to find a partner, build a safe place together and finally mate. Just as our love for sugary foods was a tool for survival when carbohydrates were hard to find.

Humans want to spend as little energy as possible on the task ahead. Watching porn requires less energy than finding a human partner which makes becoming addicted to masturbation even easier.

It is safe to say that masturbation is the strongest form of instant gratification that exists today.

Cutting out the instant gratification from masturbation depletes the dopamine in your brain. Because dopamine keeps you alive your brain will start to look for other sources of dopamine, resulting in higher energy levels and more creativity.

Creative work is the BEST source of dopamine. Creating art or similar tasks floods your body with dopamine resulting in a natural reward. The difference is that you first had to put in the time and effort to achieve this reward.

This does not mean that you have to stop masturbating. There are dozens of sources for instant gratification in your life like hot showers, sugary foods, alcohol, watching movies etc. You can delay gratification in many, many ways.

But most people don´t know about the harmful effects of instant gratification. Of course their lives will be better once they stop masturbating! It is only because their brain starts looking for other sources of dopamine. It is NOT because masturbation in itself is harmful for your mind!

That´s what the NoFap movement gets wrong.

Every method of teaching your mind that you need to put in time and effort to reap rewards will show results. Not just NoFap.

There is actual science behind NoFap. It definitely works. But I still doubt that masturbation is the cause of acne or depression.

Do you have any experience with NoFap, fellow superhero? Please share your thoughts with us below!